Power tool hall effect mode selector switch

• US 20140100687A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 04/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ekstrom, Erik, Garber, Stuart E., Lim, Jongsoo, Smith, David J., Waikar, Shailesh P.
• Granted Patent: US 10,414,033 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/160
• CPC Class Codes: B25C 1/00 Hand-held nailing tools hammers per se B25D; nailing machines B27F7/02; Nail feeding devices
• CPC Class Codes: B25C 1/06 operated by electric power
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 5/00 Details or components of portable power-driven tools not particularly related to the operations performed and not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/147 influenced by the movement of a third element, the position of Hall device and the source of magnetic field being fixed in respect to each other

Abstract

A mode selector switch for a power tool that can have a source of a magnetic field and use a magnetoresistive component to produce an output signal that changes when the strength of the magnetic field changes. The power tool can have a microprocessor that changes an operational mode of the power tool based on a change of the output signal from the magnetoresistive component. The magnetoresistive component can be a Hall effect sensor and the power tool can be a nailer. The power tool can have a switching means which changes an operational mode based upon a change in the strength of the magnetic field upon a magnetoresistive component. A method of controlling a power tool, having a step of changing an operational mode of a power tool based upon identifying a change in output from a magnetoresistor.

Claims

11. A power tool, comprising:

a switching means for switching the power tool from a first operational mode to a second operational mode;

the switching means having a source of at least a first magnetic field;

a sensing means for sensing the strength of the first magnetic field;

the sensing means adapted to produce an output signal which changes when the strength of the first magnetic field changes; and

a data processing means that processes the output signal and changes the first operational mode to the second operational mode when the output signal changes.

12. The power tool according to claim 11, wherein the power tool is a nailer.

13. The power tool according to claim 11, wherein the switching means comprises a means for changing the relative distance between the source of at least a first magnetic field and the sensing means.

14. The power tool according to claim 11, wherein the means for changing the relative distance between the source of at least a first magnetic field and the sensing means is a member that can be moved and that has a magnet.

15. The power tool according to claim 11, wherein the sensing means is a magnetoresistor.

16. The power tool according to claim 11, wherein the sensing means is a Hall effect sensor.

17. The power tool according to claim 11, wherein the data processing means is a microprocessor.

18-1. The method of controlling a power tool according to claim 18, further comprising the step of changing to a second operational mode, which is a bump mode.